The most visited museum in the world is The Louvre in Paris — over 9 million visitors a year. The Louvre began as a defensive fortress built in 1690 for King Philip II. Its purpose was to protect Paris from English attacks along the Seine. In the 1540s, King Francis I demolished much of the medieval fortress to build a lavish Renaissance royal residence. Francis I also began the royal art collection, which included works by Leonardo da Vinci. It eventually opened as a public museum in 1793 during the French Revolution. The museum’s first exhibit had 537 paintings. Today the Louvre has over 7,500 paintings. The total collection of all the Louvre’s works of art is over 615,000 objects spanning 10,000 years (paintings, sculptures, antiquities, prints, drawings, and decorative arts). The Louvre’s glass pyramid opened to the public in 1989 and serves as the main entrance. I took this photo early evening during “blue hour.” It does indeed have an unmistakable blue tint. With the help of photo editing software I removed all the distracting people that were milling about, which produced a picture that I really like.
Public spaces and parks are ever present in Paris - very often including a pool with a fountain that is surrounded by chairs for people to sit and have some quiet time, read a book or enjoy each others company. Whatever the mood, the surroundings compliment the moment. The above photos, all in Paris, clockwise from top left, are The Medici Fountain in Luxembourg Gardens (created in 1612 by Queen Marie de' Medici). A late afternoon “golden hour” photo of a fountain in the Tuileries Garden (created in 1564 by Queen Catherine de' Medici, an older distant cousin of Marie). The next fountain is in the Palais-Royal and was part of the original garden built in 1633 by Cardinal Richelieu. The surrounding building was also the home of a young Louis XIV - the “Sun King” who built Versailles. The final picture is also from Luxembourg Gardens, and the fountain in the distance is often filled with small wooden sailboats launched and navigated by visiting children.
The Basilica of the Sacred Heart of Montmartre, commonly known as Sacré-Cœur, is a Catholic church in Paris. The Basilica opened in 1914 and is located at the summit of the butte of Montmartre. While the church is glorious, what I enjoy about this photo is the relaxed atmosphere the lawn tumbling down the hill provides to those who seek a last special moment before their descent into Paris.
Joan of Arc is a much loved and admired French hero (evidently my sister agrees). Her golden statue is just steps away from the Louvre museum and the Tuileries Garden. On a sunny day the gold statue shines brightly, as well as night time under the street lights. Oddly, Joan rests in the middle of a busy intersection with cars whizzing by in both directions. I was lucky to snap the above photo when there was a pause in the traffic.
PLACES / FRANCE Gallery Pages